


By the Stroke of Midnight

by Inlovewithcomedy99



Category: To the Manor Born
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-02-18 12:02:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18699223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inlovewithcomedy99/pseuds/Inlovewithcomedy99
Summary: New Year's Eve can often bring about a moment of midnight madness, especially when champagne has been involved.





	By the Stroke of Midnight

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea whilst writing another piece, though I know its a bit early (or late depending how you look at it) but if I waited till New Year's then I'd probably just end up forgetting about it.

The cool night air was the refreshing change she needed from the stifling heat of the village hall. It cooled her skin as she step outside, a gentle breeze whispering through her hair. The only down side to this, was that it somewhat revealed her slightly inebriated state, and she found that she had to take extra care so as not to stumble as she made her way to stand beside the wall at the front of the hall.

Of course, Audrey fforbes-Hamilton never stumbled. Nor did she ever get drunk.

She huffed out a breath, watching in fascination as it briefly fogged before floating off into the night sky. Did it float? Either way, her body was unreceptive to the cold, and had it not been for her breaths, she would not have even noticed the plummeting temperature. She supposed that she ought to get her coat, however that was all the way back inside the cloakroom, and she could not be bothered to traipse all the way back in there to get it. And the heat and sheer number of people that resided in there was enough to put her off the idea all together.

Audrey had come out here to get away from the celebrations and merrymaking for a while, so that she could have moment of solace, to reflect on the year before and wonder on the one ahead. Whilst she had always enjoyed the New Year’s festivities, from when she was a child and the excitement of being allowed to stay up late with the grown-ups, to actually being one of the grown-ups and celebrating by hosting lavish and grand parties at the Manor, and of course this year had been no exception, yet she couldn’t help but dwell on how much things had changed since then.

It was a tradition that she had started during her marriage to Marton. Every New Year ’s Eve, she would take a moment to herself to simply reflect, thinking on the good things and the bad, the happy occasions and the not so happy ones, whether they were important or simply insignificant and trivial little things that had caught her attention at the time.

Sighing once again, she watched the swirling shapes that her breath created. So much had changed in the past couple of years. Of course she wasn’t just talking about her loss of the Manor, though that was a constant thought most days. No it was how much the new owner, Richard Devere, had seemed to bring a new sense of life into their small community. Whilst she publicly opposed virtually everything he did, secretly she couldn’t deny that his presence at the Manor wasn’t a completely negative change. He was bringing new opportunities to the local community, even if he did break a few of the traditions that she had clung to so desperately throughout her life, and he was taking an interest in local customs for the most part. All in all they could have done a lot worse than Richard.

No, what bothered her most was the sense that she wasn’t needed anymore. Oh don’t get her wrong, she wasn’t being morose, and there would always be events to organise and charity work to be done, but when she lived at the Manor, she had felt like she _was someone,_ that her influence in the community meant that she was actually achieving something worthwhile. Now she felt that she didn’t matter anymore and, if she was completely honest with herself, it had _hurt._ People who she had thought were her friends no longer called and sometimes it felt like she didn’t even exist in the same reality as them anymore.

Though that was perhaps the best way to describe her current situation; she did live in a completely different reality to them, one which they could afford to avoid.

Refusing to give in to her own depressing thoughts, she turned up to look at the night sky, closing her eyes when her vision began to swim. _Perhaps she shouldn’t have had that last glass of champagne…_

It appeared though, that her moment of solitude was to be broken, as she heard the melody of whatever song they were now playing, cutting through the silence, signalling to her that someone had opened the door to the hall. She kept her eyes closed, not bothering to look who it was, but heard their footfalls as the person approached her.

“Are you not cold without a coat?”

She fought a smile that threatened to engulf her face, however was unable to keep the amusement from her voice. “Aren’t you?” She opened her eyes and turned to look at her companion, greeted by the sight of a pair of warm, chocolate eyes that were crinkled in concern.

His moustache twitched as he brought a cigar up to his lips. “I’m wearing one.”

She laughed, admiring the dark woollen overcoat that he wore before turning her gaze back to the night sky. “It’s not that cold,” she shrugged.

He raised an eyebrow at her. “Audrey, it’s January, in the middle of the English countryside. It’s always cold here.”

“Well technically it’s still December.” A smirk danced across her face. “Unless I’ve missed it of course.” She knew that she hadn’t, yet still felt compelled to look for confirmation, which Richard gave in the form of a brisk shake of his head.

“What are you doing out here anyway?” He asked her after a short silence, flicking his finished cigar on the floor, its glowing ember fizzling out against the damp ground.

“Thinking,” she replied simply.

“Thinking?”

She raised an eyebrow at his sceptical tone, feeling the need to defend her actions. “Yes, thinking.”

He watched her face before he asked, “May I ask what about?”

A year ago she would have made some smart remark, refusing to let this kind and curious man in, now however, whether from the drink or the realisation that another year had passed her by, she let her guard slip for just a moment. “Just about life, the previous year, how much things have changed…” she trailed off, gesturing with her hand.

“It sounds quite melancholy.” Again there was that look of concern.

“Not at all,” she laughed. “I do it every year.” She realised at that point that she had perhaps revealed something a bit too personal for their fragile relationship, however was spared from saying anything further when a shiver ran through her.

Fortunately, or unfortunately she wasn’t really sure, Richard appeared to have noticed this and without a word, he removed his coat and wrapped it around her slender shoulders. “I told you it was cold.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, suddenly feeling quite shy. “Yes, I fear this dress wasn’t designed with the cold weather in mind.”

Richard smiled at her again, a softer one that she was beginning to see directed towards her more often. “Nevertheless, you still look lovely in it.” His smile only broadened when he saw a flush spread across her cheeks. Much later she would simply claim that it was from the cold, as a fforbes-Hamilton most certainately does not blush.

“Will you not be cold now?” She asked, trying to regain some normality. They seemed to be straying further and further past the line of what normal social etiquette deemed acceptable between two unattached individuals.

“I’d say my suit is more resilient against the cold than your dress,” he told her, his tone light and teasing. He had nearly not brought his coat at all, when he first saw Audrey stepping outside alone. Whilst he did not think anything… _untoward_ would happen to her, the drinks had been flowing that night and the gentleman in him didn’t think it right for a lady to venture outside without someone with her. And when he’d seen that her coat was still in the cloakroom, he’d predicted the event that she would no doubt become cold and so had decided to bring his just in case.

He also wasn’t quite ready to end this time alone they had together, on neutral ground and away from the estate, so he would simply ignore the cold in favour of her undivided attention. He moved to stand beside her, leaning against the wall so that his shoulder brushed against hers. “Was there anything in particular about this year you were thinking about?”

There was a moment of silence as Audrey thought, pursing her lips as she contemplated her answer. She really did look lovely in the moonlight. “I was thinking about how I hope in the new year, that the Rector realises that the bible in the pulpit is not the best place to hide his Thomas the Tank Engine books.”

He gawped at her in surprise, until she looked up at him with that impish gleam in her eye that she had when she found something amusing, and he found himself laughing along with her in complete disbelief. “Surely not?”

“Oh yes,” she chuckled. “The number of times I’ve found them when I’ve gone up to read the lessons. I turn the page, thinking that I’m going to read the word of God, and am presented with the Reverend Wilbert Awdry’s instead.”

“But I’ve never come across them,” Richard replied, convinced that she must be pulling his leg.

“That’s because I hide them,” Audrey smiled up at him. “That look of panic he has when he returns to the pulpit, that’s because he thinks he’s mislaid them. I don’t think he’s realised yet that I hide them when I’m up there.”

Richard laughed again, shaking his head in amazement. This woman never failed to surprise him, that this grand Lady of the Manor in fact had a childish streak to her. It made him wonder how many more hidden aspects there were to her that he was yet to discover. “And you don’t think he’ll realise?”

“Probably at some point,” she shrugged. “By then I hope he’ll have realised that Sunday service is not the place for juvenile talking locomotives.”

He shook his head. “You’re pulling my leg.”

“I promise you he does, I’ll leave it out for you next time to prove it.”

Grinning at her, Richard held out his hand for her to shake, feeling the softness of her hand within his as he gazed into her sapphire eyes. “Deal.”

They stayed like that for a while, hands gently held within each other’s, before Richard spoke, reluctantly breaking the spell. “It’s nearly midnight, you know, we should probably head back inside.”

He had expected her to agree, to hurriedly retreat back inside before they wandered too far in to unfamiliar territory to get back. Instead, she had firmly held his gaze, almost challenging him to be the first to back away. “Why?” She whispered so quietly, that for a moment he wondered if he had dreamed it.

“Because it’s nearly midnight,” Richard repeated again, trying to sound upbeat about the idea of returning into the hall with all those people. “We don’t want to miss it.”

“It will be midnight whether we are inside or not,” she replied, making no attempt to move. “And besides, there will be countless others in the future.”

“You don’t think they’ll notice that we’ve gone?”

“I doubt it very much, they’re not going to hold back the countdown just because we’re not there.”

“True.”

At that moment, the bellowing slur of the countdown to New Year’s erupted from within the village hall, signifying that midnight was only a matter of seconds away. Neither could bring themselves to join in, instead silently watching the door, as though they could see through it and into the festivities within.

“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…Happy New Year!” Thunderous applause and cheers echoed into the night, the sound of party poppers being fired and joyous laughter filtered through, seeing the New Year in with the same enthusiasm that they had on the last.

“Well,” Audrey said as the first few note of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ reached her ears. “Another year’s over.”

“Yes, a time for new beginnings.”

_Yes,_ she thought, glancing up at Richard, _it is a time for new beginnings._ Gathering what remained of her Dutch courage, Audrey stepped forward and reached up to place a kiss on Richard’s cheek. Unfortunately, the champagne she had consumed had made her balance slightly off, and so she placed a hand on Richard’s broad chest to steady herself, his hand automatically coming to rest at her waist to prevent her from falling over. As she kissed his cheek, the corner of her mouth brushed against his, and she couldn’t help but gasp at the bolt of electricity that ran through her. She guessed that he felt it too by the way his hands tightened their grasp around her waist, as though he were fighting the urge to pull her closer. She pulled her head back slightly, her mouth still only a tantalisingly few inches away from his. She could so easily just lean forward and close the gap, brush it off as being a moment of madness caused by a combination of champagne and excitement of the evening. She was tempted to when she looked into his eyes, noticing in the faint light that his eyes appeared darker, his pupils diluted.

Eventually, she found her voice, however it sounded foreign to her ears, like it should belong to someone else. “Happy New Year, Richard,” she whispered hoarsely, quickly disentangling herself from him and making her way back to the door. _What had she been thinking, stupid, stupid woman…_

“Happy New Year, Audrey.” She heard him reply, biting her lip to prevent a smile. She didn’t turn to face him, instead opening the door and re-entering the village hall, leaving him to follow moments later. They both knew that now was not the time to take things further. After all, she'd had slightly too much to drink, and he was too much of a gentleman to try anything, and whilst they both knew that at the present time they weren't quite emotionally ready, it made them realise that, eventually, they wanted something more than just the flirtatious friendship that they enjoyed at the present time. A new beginning towards a new beginning, if you will. Something she would think of when they returned to the merry makers and their friends.

And she hadn’t even realised that she was still wearing his coat.


End file.
